This invention relates to data recorder/reproducer devices of the type employing a limp, flexible, magnetic oxide coated disc.
Various forms of data recorder/reproducer devices have been proposed employing a "floppy" flexible disc media. The disc is coated with a magnetic oxide and placed in a sleeve-like protective envelope. The envelope is received within a holder having a slot formed therein at which is positioned a magnetic head. The magnetic head contacts the face of the disc as it is rotated and the head is translated radially along the disc by a lead screw driven carriage. In the assembly of such recorders, the head must be accurately positioned relative to the disc for proper operation. Should the head be misaligned so that the centerline of the recording head is displaced from the track centerline on the disc, errors will result.
Commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,137 entitled TWIN FLEXIBLE DISC RECORDER WITH MOVABLE HEADS and issued on Oct. 14, 1975 to Samuel A. Morgan discloses a flexible disc recorder including a lead screw drive for a carriage which in turn supports a pair of recording heads on either side of a disc received in a disc holder. The carriage includes a follower nut threadably engaged by a lead screw and a transversely positioned cross arm. The cross arm carries an upstanding block at one end. The block is disposed generally in alignment with the disc receiver and a stiffly flexible head positioning arm is secured at one end to one side of the upstanding block. The flexible head positioning arm is secured to a thin metal or plate-like member which in turn is attached by a plurality of screws to the upstanding block of the cross arm. The opposite end of the head positioning arm is attached to a laterally-extending tab portion of a head carrier. The magnetic head is supported by the head carrier adjacent the slot formed in the disc receiver or holder of the device.
In order to properly align the head relative to the disc, the length of the stiffly flexible head positioning arm, which is typically of a stainless steel music wire material, must be varied or the position of the thin metal plate secured by a plurality of screws relative to the upstanding block must be varied. This alignment procedure has been found to be extremely time consuming involving repeated tries to accurately align the head. This alignment procedure, therefore, complicates the assembly of the device at the factory and also provides a source of frustration for the ultimate user of the disc recorder in the field. Should the head be out of alignment with respect to the centerline of a track on the disc, errors result in the operation of the device.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved means for supporting the magnetic head of the recorder relative to the disc whereby head alignment may be more easily obtained without the time consuming procedures heretofore employed.